EARTH

Wondering what may have caused approximately 5,000 red-wing blackbirds to fall dead from the sky over Arkansas on New Year's Eve?

Melting of West Antarctic icesheet as a result of global warming may lead to disappearance of three-fourths of Europe’s alpine glaciers by 2100 and an increase in sea levels by four metres by the year 3000, said a study.

Ocean warming of up to 5 degree Celsius is likely to trigger widespread collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet by the year 3000 as well as lift sea levels by 4 meters (13 feet), says a study.

A team of scientists at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have found that the moon has a core similar to Earth's.

Space shuttle Discovery's final mission is delayed again due to additional small cracks on the shuttle's tank. The mission is now off until late February.

The recent spate of energy diplomacy between china and United States have resulted in China slash export quotas of rare earth mineral by half in 2011.

Japanese researchers at the Kyoto University have broken the rare earth import jinx as they have created a new alloy which resembles rare metal palladium, bringing a sigh of relief to countries depending on Chinese exports of rare earth metals.

Computing is going greener -- at least if the products at this year's Consumer Electronics show are any indication.

Moon takes a bite out of the Sun, as the colloquial saying goes, during the start of the year 2011. This year's first partial solar eclipse will be seen on Tuesday, in view from much of Europe, North Africa and central Asia.

The China government may slash export quotas of rare earth mineral by half in 2011, according to China Securities Journal, after Beijing raised international concern by cutting exports of the minerals next year.

China defended its export controls on rare earth minerals on Thursday, saying that they were in line with World Trade Organization rules, after a government move to slash export quotas on rare earths sparked trade concerns.

Molycorp (NYSE: MCP) is rising following the decision by China to cut its exports of rare earth materials next year.

China's Commerce Ministry said on Wednesday it would not issue more export quotas for foreign companies as it did last year and the first set of volume totaling 14,446 included those for foreign firms.

China said on Tuesday it will cut its export quotas for rare earth minerals by more than 11 percent in the first half of 2011, further shrinking supplies of metals needed to make a range of high-tech products.

The rare earth controversy heats up yet again after China cut its rare earth export quotas by 11 percent for 2011, according to a statement by the Ministry of Commerce.

NORAD Tracks Santa, the annual Christmas tradition, is gaining popularity like never before. But did you know that the U.S. military department NORAD has been keeping a close eye on Santa's flight since 1955 and the idea was born in 1897?

The US Department of Energy has released a critical materials strategy based on extensive research by the Department during the past year examining the role of earth metals and other materials in the clean energy economy.

China has assured the European Union its rare earths shipments to the bloc will not be disrupted, EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said in Beijing on Tuesday.

The angry mob battling the police in their riots gear at the heart of Moscow screamed, Russia for Russians! The slogans spread to the Country's second largest city of St. Petersburg. In rather a dramatic fashion, the death of one Russian football fan sparked riots that soon engulfed the whole of the country. Local media has been reporting that city centers have been shut time and again and roads were frequently blocked, over the past couple of days, following sporadic incidents.

After Google Maps, Google Places and Google Earth, and a host of other ground-breaking products and apps, the Internet giant has now soft-launched the ‘Google Body Browser’, which tech analysts say is the Google Earth of the human body.

There’s hope for polar bears, but it depends on human behavior.